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Thanksgiving History, Trivia, and Fun Facts |
Table of Contents Thanksgiving History Highlights |
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Traditional Thanksgiving Pardon |
Every year before the Thanksgiving holiday, the President chooses a turkey or two to spare from your dining room table. In a ceremony at the White House, one official turkey and the occasional alternate gobbler are pardoned. Some say that this tradition started with Harry Truman in 1947*, but it became official in 1989, with President G.W. Bush. Rumor has it, President Truman ‘pardoned’ turkey was his selected Thanksgiving meal. Names for the lucky birds are chosen by voters on the White House website. Here is a list of some previously pardoned turkeys: |
Turkey Trivia |
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Thanksgiving Etiquette |
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Thanksgiving Quotes |
“I love November and the American tradition of Thanksgiving. But in reality, every day should be Thanksgiving.” “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” “The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so.” “Thanksgiving Day is a good day to recommit our energies to giving thanks and just giving.” “Thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude, an acknowledgment of favors or divine goodness. It is an act of appreciation, often directed to God for all He has done or is doing in our lives.” “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” “Thanksgiving day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.” “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” |
Thanksgiving Jokes |
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn’t find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ‘Do these turkeys get any beggir?’ The stock boy replied, ‘No ma’am, they’re dead.’ “May I say the prayer before Thanksgiving dinner?” Thanksgiving, for me, was the only holiday that wasn’t completely commercialized like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter till Black Friday rolled around. How many cooks does it take to stuff a turkey? Why did the pilgrim’s pants fall down? When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving? If April showers bring May flowers what do May flowers bring? |
Uncredited Thanksgiving Quotes |
I’m excited about Thanksgiving because I love unwelcome parenting advice from relatives I see twice a year. Thanksgiving is great because people tend to speak less when food is lodged in their mouths. There is a special place in hell for people that play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. You don’t need Thanksgiving to hate your family. Turkeys make the same sound that Americans do as they consume them every Thanksgiving. If I was a turkey, I’d be doing everything I could to taste terrible right now. On Thanksgiving Day, all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment… halftime. Happy Turkey Day, America! Don’t forget to name the turkey and make everyone uncomfortable. Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often. |
More Pop Culture History Resources |
